APPENDIX
D
MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE
A TABULATED SUMMARY
ITEM
VERSE
14.6
to
14.8
Binding
Force
14.1
1
to
14.1
3
Symptoms
14.1
4 to
14.1
5
Destination
at death
14.1
6 to
14.1
8
Results of
action
17.4
Worship
17.8
to
17.1
0
Food
1
APPENDIX D
MODE OF
GOODNESS
Sense of:
 Happiness
 Satisfacti
on
 Knowledge

Superiorit
y
 Illuminate
s thegates
of the
body with
knowledge.
 Frees one
from
sinful
reactions
MODE OF
PASSION
 Attachment
tofruitive
activities
 Binds by
the ropes
of desire
and
attachment
MODE OF
IGNORANCE
 Madness
 Indolence
(Laziness)
 Sleep
 Intense,
unlimitedd
esires and
longings
 Great
attachment
 Fruitive
activities
 Delusion/
Illusion
 Darkness
 Madness
 Inertia
 Attains
the pure,
higher
planets of
the great
sages
 Pure
 Knowledge
(sees
things as
they are)
 Elevation
to higher
planets
like
Brahmaloka
or
Janaloka
 Demigods
 Attains
earthly
planets
 Birth in
lower
species
 Misery
 Greed
 Earthly
planets
 Foolishnes
s
 Madness
 Illusion
 Life in
hellish
worlds
 Demons
Type of
foods:
 Juicy,
fatty,
wholesome
and
pleasing
to the
heart
Effect of
such foods:
 Increases
the
Type of
foods:
 Too
bitter,
Too sour,
salty, hot
pungent,
dry and
burning
 Ghosts and
Spirits
Type of
foods:
 Prepared
more than
three
hours
before
being
eaten
 Food that
is
tasteless,
decomposed
Effect of
such foods:
 Distress
A P P E N D I X
duration
of life

17.1
1 to
17.1
3
Sacrifice
17.1
7 to
17.1
9
Austerity
17.2
0 to
17.2
2
18.7
to
Purifieson
e’s
existence
 Gives
strength,
health,
happiness
and
satisfacti
on
 According
to
directions
of
scripture
 As a
matter of
duty
 Without
desire of
reward
D
 Misery
 Disease
and putrid
 Food
consisting
of
remnants
and
untouchabl
e things
Effect of
such foods:
 Infection
 Disease
 Performs
for some
material
benefit
 For the
sake of
pride
 Without
regard for
the
directions
of
scripture
 Without
distributi
on of
prasadam
(spiritual
food)
 Without
chanting
of Vedic
hymns
 Without
remunerati
on to the
priests
 Without
faith
 Performed
out of
foolishnes
s
 With selftorture
 To destroy
or injure
others
 Performed
out of
pride
 For the
sake of
gaining
respect
 It is
neither
permanent
nor stable
Charity
 Performed
with
transcende
ntal faith
 Without
expecting
material
benefits
 Only for
the sake
of the
Supreme
 Given out
of duty
 Without
expectatio
n of
return
 At the
proper
time and
place
 To a
worthy
person
Renunciatio
n
 Performing
prescribed
 Renounces
prescribed
 With
expectatio
n of some
return
 With the
desire for
fruitive
results
 In a
grudging
mood
 Performed
at an
impure
place
 At an
impure
time
 To
unworthy
persons
 Without
proper
attention
and
respect
 Renounces
prescribed
APPENDIX D
2
A P P E N D I X
18.9
D
duty only
because it
ought to
be done
 Renounces
all
material
associatio
n
 Renounces
all
attachment
to the
fruit
 Knowledge
by which
one
undivided
spiritual
nature is
seen in
all living
entities,
though
they are
divided
into
innumerabl
e forms
duties as
troublesom
e or out
of fear of
bodily
discomfort
 Does not
lead to
elevation
of
renunciati
on
duties
because of
illusion
 Knowledge
by which
one sees
that in
every
different
body there
is a
different
type of
living
entity
 Knowledge
by which
one is
attached
to one
kind of
work as
all in all
 Without
knowledge
of the
truth
 Which is
very
meager
 Performed
in
illusion
 In
disregard
of
scriptural
injunction
s
 Without
concern
for future
bondage or
for
violence
or
distress
caused to
others
 Work
against
the
injunction
s of the
scripture
 Materialis
tic
 Obstinate
 Cheating
 Expert in
insulting
others
 Lazy
18.2
0 to
18.2
2
Knowledge
18.2
3 to
18.2
5
Action
 Regulated
by sastras
 Performed
without
attachment
 Without
love or
hatred
 Without
desire for
fruitive
results
 With great
effort by
one
seeking to
gratify
his
desires
 Enacted
from a
sense of
false ego
18.2
6 to
18.2
8
Performer
of action
(worker)
 Performs
his duty
without
associatio
n with the
modes of
material
nature
 Without
false ego
 With great
determinat
ion and
enthusiasm
 Attached
to work
and fruits
of work
 Desiring
to enjoy
those
fruits
 Greedy
 Envious
 Impure
 Moved by
joy and
sorrow
APPENDIX D
3
A P P E N D I X
 Without
wavering
in success
or failure
18.3
0 to
18.3
2
Understandi
ng
 One knows
what ought
to be done
and what
ought not
to be done
 What is to
be feared
and what
is not to
be feared
 What is
binding
and what
is
liberating
 Cannot
distinguis
h between
religion
and
irreligion
 Between
action
that
should be
done and
action
that
should not
be done
18.3
3 to
18.3
5
Determinati
on
 One holds
fast to
fruitive
results in
religion,
economic
developmen
t and
sense
gratificat
ion
18.3
7 to
18.3
9
Happiness
 Unbreakabl
e
 Sustained
with
steadfastn
ess by
yoga
practice
 Controls
the
activities
of mind,
life and
senses
 Just like
poison in
the
beginning
and nectar
at the end
 Awakes one
to selfrealisatio
n
 Derived
from
contact of
the senses
with their
objects
 Appears as
nectar at
first but
poison at
the end
D
 Always
morose
 Procrastin
ating
 Considers
religion
to be
irreligion
and
irreligion
to be
religion
 Under the
spell of
illusion
and
darkness
 Always
striving
in the
wrong
direction
 One cannot
go beyond
dreaming
 Fearfulnes
s
 Lamentatio
n
 Moroseness
 Illusion
 Blind to
self
realizatio
n
 Delusion
from
beginning
to end
 Arises
from
sleep,
laziness
and
illusion
APPENDIX D
4